


Gloves

by Maria_Laney



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: M/M, it's nowhere near Christmas but rewatching little women makes me soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:54:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27242272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maria_Laney/pseuds/Maria_Laney
Summary: Mush forgets his gloves. Blink proposes a temporary solution.
Relationships: Kid Blink/Mush Meyers
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Gloves

“It’s okay, Kid,” Mush amended. He stuffed the hand that wasn't carrying his papes into the pocket of his jacket. It was seasonably cold out, the gloomy sort of December weather that came angrily with biting air and a wretched grey sky to hang drearily over them, combating the cheerful music playing in the streets and bountiful Christmas colors hung up on every bench, lamp post and storefront. None of that stuff did much of anything to accentuate the beauty of New York, not that there was much there to begin with, in Blink’s eyes. “I’ll get on just fine without ‘em. Hey, it could be colder out.”

“Wouldn’t do you much good even if you didn’t forget them. They’re all worn through the fingertips, anyway,” Blink said. 

Mush nodded, frowning for a moment, then he brightened. “Maybe it’ll snow soon, and we can make snow angels and things.”

“Or lose all our buttons and catch the grip.” 

Blink didn’t like winter. It was his very least favorite season, in fact. At least in the summer you could play ball and jacks on the sidewalk without catching cold. Jack liked winter a lot, and Blink just couldn’t see why. Cowboys weren’t even supposed to be suited to the cold, so Blink heard. They didn't have snow out west, and Blink would be damned if that weren't the only thing that could even remotely entice him to pack up and ride off with Jack to the desert. He supposed Jack more liked the 'keeping warm' part of it all, but there wasn't much keeping warm for the likes of them. 

Blink never had a wood stove to sit around while it burned up sticks, no boots without holes or coats thick enough to keep out spring's blooming chill--that was, until he came to the lodging house all those years ago. One of the good things about living in the dorm was that the Children's Aid Society gave out amenities every winter to the kids who needed them. The clothes weren't fancy or new or anything; much of it was donated. But a forlorn old jacket with faded cotton lining was better than freezing. If you didn't want to freeze, you'd wear what they gave you without raising a peep of complaint about it. 

“Say,” Blink piped up, bumping Mush’s shoulder with his. “What do you say we hurry up and sell out so’s we can go and get you a brand new pair of gloves, huh?”

Mush smiled, liking the thought of possessing something new. That didn't happen very often. “Yeah?”

“Sure. I’ll even buy ‘em for you. Think of it as an early Christmas present.”

“No, thanks, Kid. I don’t wanna take your money or nothin'.”

“You ain’t. I’m giving it to you, free of charge.”

“I wouldn’t feel too good about that.”

Blink thought that was a funny thing to say. Whenever he thought of giving Mush something, he always felt wonderful. It was different for Mush probably, because he was the one receiving the gifts and not giving them. 

There wasn't ever a time when Blink considered that maybe he should stop being that way with Mush, on account of how it somehow made him feel indebted like he had to pay Blink back. Could be because of his faith, how he thought he had to pay everyone back for every little thing he took or borrowed or used or even a second because they were nice enough to lend it in the first place. That was a nice sentiment. Even though Mush insisting he had to pay Blink back for borrowing a couple pennies got old fast, Blink didn't mind Mush's values. In fact, he liked them a lot. They were just another piece of refined evidence to help prove to himself he wasn't going crazy. Mush really was an angel after all. Blink never met another guy who cared about the lifespan of snowflakes and that they should be sure to avoid as many as they could so they wouldn't be lonely when they melted. 

Blink didn't care if Mush felt like he was misplacing his money, he was just going to have to like it. It would make Blink feel a lot better to know he wasn't going to freeze his fingers off if he left him alone for too long. Mush wasn't the complaining type. Blink knew for a fact he'd had that old pair of gloves for at least three years without once mentioning how they didn't even make a difference to the cold anymore. He had an uncanny ability to see the good in everything. He could turn a lousy, grey-skied day where the air was so frigid Blink couldn't feel his face in a matter of minutes upon stepping out the door into a good one, where they could stop by the chestnut stand on Beekman on their way back to pick up something warm to eat.

“That's a real shame,” Blink said. Mush looked like he was going to say something else, closing his mouth a second later and falling back into easy step beside his friend.

Blink studied the way Mush’s fingers curled around his papes for longer than he should have before an idea struck him. Grabbing Mush's sleeve, he led him off the cobbles and around the corner into the mouth of an alleyway. 

Blink brought Mush closer until they were standing face to face. Blink leaned his shoulder against the bricks, tucking his elbow into his side to hold his papes as he took off one of his own gloves. 

“A compromise.” Blink reached for Mush's hand, and he gave it. He put the glove on for him, noting without a word that Mush was shivering. "You can give it back when I get you your present. How about that?"

Mush waited for Blink to let go of his hand. When he didn't, Mush looked up. Blink was watching him with his sharp blue eye, counting on a response. 

Mush didn't think he even needed new gloves anymore. He was warm all over, like how he got when he was coming down with something. He didn't feel particularly ill though, and if he had, he would have told Blink. He felt kind of woozy, almost, like he might fall over but in a good way. Rightfully, he was a little confused.

“Any better?”

Surely Blink knew it was far too soon to notice a change, but with Blink's thumb gently running over the back of his palm, that didn't even come to Mush's mind. He nodded anyway.


End file.
